With its rapid economic development, coupled with political stability compared to some of its neighbours, India has remained an attraction to several South Asian migrants, mainly from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar. India's push-pull factors have led to complex migration dynamics where economic opportunity and the established familial bonds and proximity facilitate inflows. Still, political and social tensions underscore a restrictive immigration policy. Thus, these migration flows are intertwined with immediate economic necessities and longer-term socio-political needs that give the push-pull model an extremely appropriate framework for cross-border movements into India. The cross-border movement of people necessarily creates social and political frictions, where demographic changes in these states become strongly felt. Citizens may find some competition with migrants for jobs and other resources creating friction and, at times, determining discriminatory rules. One of the chief reasons for conflicting relations of migrants and locals is in the sphere of employment (Rao, 1981).
Push Factors Driving Migration to India
Poverty and unemployment are one of the persistent issues in many of India's neighbors. In Bangladesh, high population density and fewer resources created severe job competition; many are crossing the border for employment. Nepal's economy, which relies much on remittances due to limited domestic industrialization, made the citizens of this place seek employment in India, where economic opportunities are relatively easy to access.
Political instability or ethnic conflicts sometimes make people move to more secure regions. The political upsurge in Myanmar, more particularly after recent military coups, has compelled many thousands of refugees, mainly from ethnic minorities such as Rohingya, to seek refuge in India. Decades-long crisis and instability in Afghanistan have pushed thousands of people out of the country, and many have chosen India as their destination for relocation. Bangladesh underwent phases of political turbulence which were bound to push people towards the stability of India. People of certain religions or ethnicities face persecution in their countries, such as Minority communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and come to India for refuge, where people have been protected as refugees throughout history for humanitarian reasons. Moreover, South Asia is the worst possible victim of climatic change, with a rise in the sea level, floods, and erratic weather patterns, which threatened the livelihoods of millions, mainly along coastal lines. Bangladesh is a classic example of the loss of arable land, severe flooding, and river erosion, which have forced many more people into migration in search of stable living conditions.
Environmental degradation thus becomes an increasingly significant push factor in cross-border migration trends, where flows intensify into India from affected regions.
Pull Factors Attracting Migrants to India
The economic growth, urbanization, and an ever-growing labour market attract large numbers from neighbouring populations in India. Most recent migrants are mainly from Bangladesh, Nepal, and other communities who find work in agriculture, construction, and domestic services. The same informal economy of India provides a similar opportunity for the migrant worker, who can work with minimal documentation or formal education.
Cultural and historical links are essential factors in choosing India for cross-border migration. Bangladesh and Nepal share a cultural heritage that simplifies the process of assimilation of migrants in India. For instance, linguistic and cultural similarities reduce social friction among Bangladeshi migrants in West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. At the same time, Nepalese citizens, through long-standing treaties, have imperative rights to work and settle in India. Such common cultural ties ultimately reduce psychological and social barriers to migration and make India a more sought-after destination than other culturally distant nations.
India has broad but sometimes porous borders with Nepal and Bangladesh, so geography can give access to her. Border control can be challenging, particularly in areas with much informal border-to-border movement. The open border policy between India and Nepal under the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship permits free movement of people and goods, thus making migration between these two nations convenient. The long, porous border has also facilitated movement for Bangladeshi migrants, though India has recently tightened up security. The Bangladesh-India migration corridor is one of South Asia's largest cross-border migration flows. The movement is influenced by complex push-pull factors, where economic opportunity in India contrasts with socio-economic disadvantage in Bangladesh.
Economic hardships, high rates of unemployment, and environmental vulnerabilities, such as flooding and land erosion, have been the key push factors of migrants from Bangladesh. West Bengal and Assam in India have traditionally been destinations for Bangladeshi migrants who acquire employment in agriculture, construction, and other labour-intensive sectors. Although there are difficulties and constrictive policies, the migration flow continues because the economic gain is immediate for migrants and because the informal sector of India requires low-wage labour.
©